Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Church suspends priest for running for Bukidnon governor

For choosing politics over pastoral matters and running for governor of Bukidnon province, a Catholic priest has been suspended his bishop.

Malaybalay Bishop Honesto Pacana said he informed Fr. Diosdado Tabios, former parish priest of Valencia City, of his suspension when he decided to pursue his political plans.

“After discerning, Fr. Tabios opted to run and I told him of his suspension and he understood the consequences," Pacana said in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines news site.

Pacana said this is the first time a priest from his diocese decided to run for public office.

He said Tabios will be barred from administering the sacraments and performing other priestly duties.

Even Tabios' resumption of priestly duties will depend on his conduct during his campaign and his term of office (if he wins), the bishop added.

“It would depend on how he conducts himself during the campaign period and should he win, after his term of office, he will be evaluated," he said.

Tabios declined to comment on his suspension, saying he already talked with his bishop, and that are no problems between them.

In 2007, Tabios left for the Netherlands to pursue further studies. He was reportedly a scholar under the Ford Foundation.

Upon his return to Bukidnon this year, he became an assistant to the administrator of the San Isidro Cathedral in Bukidnon’s capital, Malaybalay City. - LBG, GMANews.TV